New candidate for South Korean football coach emerges! Javier Aguirre, the 'former mentor' who guided Lee Kang-in to PSG, is the subject of local reports as a potential pick.

*This content was translated by AI.

Following South Korea's exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America group stage, Javier Aguirre (68, Mexico) has emerged as a leading candidate for the new head coach of the South Korean national team. He previously served as Lee Kang-in's mentor at Spain's La Liga club Mallorca and is widely regarded as the manager who best utilized Lee Kang-in's talents.

Mexican media outlet SDP Noticias reported on the 10th (Korea time), citing Fox Sports Mexico, that "Aguirre, who stepped down as Mexico national team coach ahead of the North American World Cup, has already received offers for his next position. The first team publicly mentioned is the South Korean national football team." Spanish outlet AS's Mexican edition also relayed the same news.

The media stated, "Following the failure of the Hong Myung-bo era at the North American World Cup, the Korea Football Association (KFA) is seeking an experienced new coach, and Aguirre has been mentioned as a candidate." It added, "His past connection with Lee Kang-in at Mallorca could be a crucial factor in negotiations. Aguirre is also reported to have received an offer from Saudi Arabia and is considering retirement."

Previously, under Hong Myung-bo's leadership, the South Korean national team finished third in Group A of the North American World Cup group stage with one win and two losses, failing to qualify for the Round of 32 despite being among the top eight third-placed teams across all twelve groups. Following this, Hong resigned while in Mexico. Subsequently, former Portugal national team coach Paulo Bento and former Spain national team coach Roberto Martinez have shown actual interest in the South Korean coaching position.

Amid this, Javier Aguirre's name has been mentioned for the first time in foreign media due to his close ties with Lee Kang-in. SDP Noticias reported that "the KFA is expected to contact Aguirre within the next few days to confirm his interest in the South Korean national team coaching role," adding that "Lee Kang-in, Korea's key player, could serve as a crucial link in persuading Aguirre."

In reality, Lee Kang-in and Aguirre developed a close mentor-mentee relationship during their time at Mallorca. Lee first left Valencia to join Mallorca, after which Aguirre was appointed manager later. They spent full seasons together as coach and player during the 2022–2023 campaign, when Lee Kang-in delivered outstanding performances in Spain's La Liga with six goals and six assists in 36 matches. This success led to his transfer to PSG, Europe's top club, where Aguirre was the head coach at the time.

Their close mentor-mentee bond was also evident during their Group A second-round match last month in Guadalajara, Mexico. At the post-match press conference, Aguirre said, "I loved Lee Kang-in like family and cared for him for a long time. He's such a lovely friend I raised almost like my own child." He added, "When he approached me on the field, I jokingly said I wanted to give him a good slap out of joy. I also asked about his hairstyle, noting it had an impressive bridge, which made the scene full of laughter."

Of course, since the KFA has not yet officially begun procedures for selecting the next coach and the reports originated from Mexico rather than domestically, further observation is needed regarding actual contact possibilities. However, it is noteworthy that South Korea's tactical focus has increasingly centered on Lee Kang-in, and Aguirre remains the manager who best utilized his abilities.

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*This content was translated by AI.